🔑 Prerequisites Setup Guide

Before you can use any of the CI/CD Fast-Track packages, you’ll need to prepare a few essentials. These steps are common across all tiers, though the $50 tier requires a few extra items.


1. AWS Account

You’ll need an AWS Account with permissions to create and manage:

📖 Official AWS Docs:


2. IAM User with Programmatic Access

Create a dedicated IAM User for GitHub Actions (never use root credentials).

You’ll need the Access Key ID and Secret Access Key for this user.

📖 Official AWS Docs:


3. EC2 Key Pair (PEM File)

When you launch an EC2 instance, you’ll need a Key Pair for secure SSH access.

📖 Official AWS Docs: Create a key pair


4. Security Group Setup

A Security Group acts as a virtual firewall for your EC2 instance. You’ll need to create one and allow specific inbound rules so that your app can be accessed.

Minimum Inbound Rules

💡 Optional: If you’re using HTTPS (SSL/TLS) later, you’ll also need Port 443 open.

Why this matters

Without the correct Security Group:

How to Create a Security Group

  1. Open the Amazon EC2 Console.
  2. In the left menu, select Security GroupsCreate security group.
  3. Give it a descriptive name (e.g., ci-cd-fasttrack-sg).
  4. Add inbound rules for SSH (22) and HTTP (80).
  5. Associate this Security Group with your EC2 instance when launching it.

📖 Official AWS Docs:


👉 Later in the README (Setup & Bootstrapping section), you’ll reference the Security Group ID (sg-xxxxxxxx) — make sure to copy it from the console because you’ll need it for GitHub Secrets in the $50 tier.


5. GitHub Repository

You’ll need a GitHub repo to host your code and workflows:

📖 Official GitHub Docs: Create a new repository


6. GitHub Secrets

Secrets store your sensitive credentials securely. Add them under: GitHub Repo → Settings → Secrets and variables → Actions.

Required Secrets

📖 Official Docs:


7. Extra ($50 Tier Only): Terraform State Backend

The $50 tier uses Terraform to manage infrastructure. Terraform requires remote state storage and locking to work safely in a team setup:

📖 Official Terraform Docs:


✅ Summary

👉 Once these prerequisites are in place, you can follow your package’s README for automated deployment.